Annual Finals Prize Pool

the New Denver Poker Tour is offering an all cash prize Pool for its annual finals which are played in early June each year. The finals prize pool will be a minimum of $4,000 to a maximum of $10,000 each year. The prize pool will be formally announced in May of each year.

Many of our players use the annual prize pool to enter WSOP tournaments where they can will cash prizes ranging from thousands of dollars to millions of dollars.

Gambling at NDPT Events in not permitted.

Details

Published on Sunday, 16 September 2012 20:02

Gambling at NDPT Events is not permitted!

Recently, a player asked if it was permissible to have a last man standing pool solely among the players. Colorado law is specific and not subject to interpretation! The answer is no because this would represent gambling.

Gambling occurs when three elements are present: (1) risk, (2) chance and (3) reward. Poker by legal definition is a game of chance. Risk means you put up something (usually money) of value. Reward means you receive something of value; usually money, prizes or both. It is totally illegal to gamble except in licensed casinos in Cripple Creek, Black Hawk, Central City and on the Ute Indian Reservation in Ignacio, Colorado.

Social gambling occurs when all the individuals have social relationships (not poker) such as the Elks, Moose, your golf club, your company, your local church or synagogue, etc. Social gaming cannot be played in establishments that sell anything which requires any form of payment. A bar or restaurant sells drinks or food or both and playing in such an establishment makes the purchase of items legally equivalent to a rake (a fee taken by the operator). While interpreting these actions as illegal gambling we are acting in the best interests of our clients (bars and restaurants). If our view is wrong there is no harm to our clients. If as we believe we are taking the correct legal view we protect our clients from license suspension and fines.

Colorado liquor control laws make it illegal to gamble in establishments that operate under liquor license except licensed casinos. There are no other exceptions and no other exemptions.

Based on the aforementioned, a last man standing pool where the players contribute (creating risk) is totally illegal, even though there is no direct rake. Such a pool or any kind of pool from the players is illegal and jeopardizes our clients (our bars and restaurants) right to stay in business.

Other pools, such as 7 2 pool, a player funded prize pool of any kind will not be permitted or tolerated.

We cannot and will not tolerate this kind of action on the part of any individual. A player found to be in violation of this rule will be subject to immediate suspension or revocation of the privilege of playing NDPT poker.

Any individual found to be attempting to circumvent this rule will be treated as guilty of the offense and subject to suspension or revocation of the privilege of playing in the NDPT.

Finally, the reason the New Denver Poker Tour games are legal is we eliminate risk, players do not put up anything of value, therefore missing that element, our game is not gambling.